Skylights are a wonderful addition to any home. They provide tons of natural sunlight on bright days, which saves on electric bills, creates a cozy environment in your home, and also adds tremendous resale value if and when you try to sell your house.

The only downside of skylights is their tendency to leak after heavy rain storms. A leaking skylight will cause major damage to both your roof (mold under the shingles) and to the interior of your house. Thankfully, there are preventative measures you can take to ensure your skylight stays waterproof.

What causes a leaking skylight?

The number one cause for a leaking skylight is a problem with the flashing surrounding the outside of the window. Normal wear and tear can eventually bend and break the metal flashing on the roof, which allows water to get in to the crevices of the skylight and eventually leak into your home. Even if your roofing flashing is perfect, your skylight could still leak.

Skylights on homes located in colder climates or skylights that are placed in humid rooms might appear to be leaking but actually just have built up condensation around the inside of the glass. If you notice an extreme amount of condensation on the inside of the glass, it’s best to call a professional for leak repair in Gilbert, AZ before that condensation starts dripping on your floor.

Skylights have a condensation channel that’s supposed to let that water evaporate. If the channel gets too full of water, or if some debris is blocking it, the channel will overflow and water will spill out.

What can I do to fix a leaking skylight?

If you’re brave enough to get out onto your roof, try cleaning out any debris that could be surrounding the outside of the skylight. When the light is free of debris, the condensation channel could open back up and the problem will be gone. If there isn’t any debris around the outside and there’s still condensation buildup along the inside of the skylight, your problem is with the room’s ventilation system.

Examine the caulking around the skylight. If it’s chipped or wearing away (which happens over time), try re-caulking it and see if that helps stop the leak.

If cleaning the debris out of the skylight didn’t remedy the problem and the caulking wasn’t bad, there is probably a problem with the flashing around the skylight. While we all know you’re the handyman around the house, fixing the flashing around your skylight should only be handled by experts.

What can I do to prevent a leaking skylight?

As aforementioned, many skylight leaks are caused by problems with the flashing. Having your roof inspected once every few years can go a long way in preventing a leak in your home, requiring leak repair in Gilbert, AZ.

Call us today at 480-892-5311 for a roof inspection! It’s better to be safe than sorry. We can safely check your whole roof and diagnose any potential crevices that rain can get into, especially around your skylights.